In off-season, group employs different strategy for finding treasures

Jim Driskell digs a small hole to see what his metal detector sensed in Panama City on Monday.

Andrew Wardlow | The News Herald

By Zack McDonald / The News Herald

Published: Monday, January 14, 2013 at 08:11 PM.

PANAMA CITY
— During the slow season, pickings are slim on the beach, so Panhandle Research and Recovery heads inland.

“With the colder weather people are not on the beach, so we try to get into the
St. Andrews
area, the Cove area — older areas — and we’ll walk the sidewalks, vacant lots and stuff like that,” said Ken Lubinski, a member of the group.

Members of Panhandle Research and Recovery, a metal-detecting club in
Panama City
, look for artifacts, silver or gold coins, or jewelry. Lubinski and member Jim Driskell were on the hunt for old coins like wheat pennies or silver Monday morning.

Lubinski and Driskell were riding through a
Panama City
neighborhood near downtown when they noticed a demolished lot on the corner of
Mulberry Avenue
and Eighth Street
, a setting for which they keep an eye out.

Family members of the residence next to the taped-off lot at
803 Mulberry Ave.
recently have been tearing down the structure, which was being used as a storage unit by the family. But, due to large holes in the roof, unsecured doors and other code violations, the structure was deemed unfit Nov. 5, and the owner, through voluntary compliance, responded by opting to destroy it, according to Cecilia James, code enforcement officer.

The landlord then approached the residents to tear down the rotted walls and ceiling, disposing of what was unusable and taking any part that is salvageable in exchange for rent until April or decreased rent for the year.

PANAMA CITY — During the slow season, pickings are slim on the beach, so Panhandle Research and Recovery heads inland.

“With the colder weather people are not on the beach, so we try to get into the St. Andrews area, the Cove area — older areas — and we’ll walk the sidewalks, vacant lots and stuff like that,” said Ken Lubinski, a member of the group.

Members of Panhandle Research and Recovery, a metal-detecting club in Panama City, look for artifacts, silver or gold coins, or jewelry. Lubinski and member Jim Driskell were on the hunt for old coins like wheat pennies or silver Monday morning.

Lubinski and Driskell were riding through a Panama City neighborhood near downtown when they noticed a demolished lot on the corner of Mulberry Avenueand Eighth Street, a setting for which they keep an eye out.

Family members of the residence next to the taped-off lot at 803 Mulberry Ave. recently have been tearing down the structure, which was being used as a storage unit by the family. But, due to large holes in the roof, unsecured doors and other code violations, the structure was deemed unfit Nov. 5, and the owner, through voluntary compliance, responded by opting to destroy it, according to Cecilia James, code enforcement officer.

The landlord then approached the residents to tear down the rotted walls and ceiling, disposing of what was unusable and taking any part that is salvageable in exchange for rent until April or decreased rent for the year.

As for Lubinski and Driskell, the Mulberry Avenue lot wasn’t very fruitful Monday morning.

“We were in another lot this morning,” Lubinski said as he held out a handful of metal slivers with a few silver quarters. “But here, so far, mostly just junk.”

The Panama City chapter of Panhandle Research and Recovery meets the second Sunday every month at the GulfBeachBaptistChurch, 10620 Hutchison Blvd. If artifacts are found, they are reported to the city and if valuables like wallets are found, they are returned to owners, according to Lubinski. During the meeting they have contests for the oldest coin found, most unusual item found or rarest metal.

“We’re waiting for the spring breakers,” Driskell said. “When the kids get drunk and get to rolling around out there on the beach, they lose all kind of stuff.”